Read Online Camp Pleasant by Richard Matheson - Free Book Online

kidding.”
    He snapped off the lights and went down the steps quickly, then around the cabin and up the path toward the road.
    We didn’t say anything or plan anything but, as if it were prearranged, Bob and I moved off and started along the patch of woods that sides the path. Before we reached the road, I heard a loud, crunching sound and knew that it was Ed tossing down the trunk on the pavement.
    “Awright,” we heard him say, “now get outta my camp and
stay
out.”
    “What about my s-salary?” Merv asked.
    “You’ll get your check when the time comes,” Ed said disgustedly. “Now clear out.” His voice became sickeningly cute. “Or maybe you want t’kiss your
boy
friends good-bye first.”
    Merv’s long face turned to stone.
    “You
muck-minded swine,”
he said slowly and clearly, the words dripping like acid. “Is there anything but utter filth in that mind of—”
    He broke off nervously and backed away as Ed started forward.
    “I’d take that back,” he said, “
queer.”
    “Why
should
I?” Merv asked, his scorn weakened. “I don’t work for you any more, remember?”
    “Ya gonna apologize?” The sound in Ed Nolan’s voice was terrifying.
    “No, I’m not!” Merv backed off more.
    It happened too quickly for Sid to prevent it. One second Merv was edging away from Ed, the next second Ed had him by the right arm and was driving a bunched fist into his face. A stunned gasp of pain burst from Merv as he went flailing back, fell over his trunk and landed on the pavement heavily. Ed moved at him again but Sid caught his arm.
    “Ed, for God’s sake!”
    “Let go my arm!” Ed cried in a mindless, croaking voice. “No goddam queer’s gonna talk t’me like that!”
    “Ed, you’ll
kill
him!”
    “I said—
let go!”
He flung off Sid and lunged forward again toward Merv who was trying to struggle to his feet.
    “Ed!” Sid yelled.
    But Ed was already dragging up Merv by the arm again. Merv cried out in fright, then the cry changed to a choking gasp as Ed drove a fist into his stomach. He doubled over with a retching gag but Ed jerked up his head by the hair.
    “Apologize!” he said in a voice no longer human. “Apologize,
queer
, or I’ll break every bone in your damn body!”
    I didn’t know what was holding me back until I felt Bob’s hand clutching at my shirt. The pounding in my ears fell enough for me to hear him whispering feverishly, “Don’t be a
fool!
You can’t do any good! He’ll just throw
you
out too!”
    I think I would have torn loose except that Sid had Ed by the arm again now and was pulling him away from the slumped-over Merv. “Come on, Ed! For God’s sake!”
    Ed, not even listening, was talking to Merv in a gutteral, animal-like voice, saying, “You stay away from my camp, ya hear me, ya goddam queer?” You come back here, I’ll kill ya. I’ll kill ya.” “Come on, Ed.” Sid tugging on his beefy arm. “Not gonna have any damn pervert in
my
camp. Not
my
camp. My job is to take care o’ my boys, that’s my
job.”
    “All right, Ed, all right. He’s going. He’s going.” We stood there silently until the sound and sight of them had disappeared into the night. Then we moved out to where Merv was sitting on his trunk, bent over, gasping for air.
    I remember how the moonlight came out just as we reached him. I remember how he looked up in terror at the sound of our footsteps, I remember the cold light bathing his contorted face, revealing the dark thread of blood dribbling down from his right nostril, the tense parting of his lips around gritted teeth, the almost deranged look in his eyes.
    “It’s all right, Merv,” I said. “It’s just us.”
    He stared at us a long moment, then, as I put my hand on his shoulder, a sob broke in his throat, a sob of wretched, broken will.
    “Did you
see
it?” he asked, brokenly. “Did you see what he did to me? The
filthy swine!”
    “Take it easy, Merv,” I said. “He’s insane.”
    “Insane.” He